Advances in computer technology have enabled the further miniaturization of the components required to build computer systems. As such, new categories of computer systems have been created. One of the newer categories of computer systems is the portable or handheld computer system, also referred to as a personal digital assistant or PDA. Other examples of a portable computer system include electronic address books, electronic day planners, electronic schedulers, mini-browsers, cell phones, etc.
A handheld computer system is a computer that is small enough to be held in the user's hand and, as a result, handhelds are readily carried about in the user's briefcase, purse, and in some instances, in the user's pocket. By virtue of its size, the handheld computer, being inherently lightweight, is therefore exceptionally portable and convenient.
In order to exploit the growing popularity of handheld computer systems, new hardware and software based features and new peripheral devices are constantly being developed for portable systems. For example, handheld computer systems can be configured to function as digital cameras, wireless telephones, Global Positioning System (GPS) devices, etc. Additionally, greater functionality is possible now with handheld computer systems as more software applications are developed which provide users with greater functionality.
One current technology trend facilitates using handheld computer systems to play recorded music for users. One popular implementation of this technology is the MP3 player. MP3 is an audio encoding standard developed under the sponsorship of the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG). A digital audio compression algorithm compresses audio files by an order of magnitude while preserving sound quality. MP3 files can be downloaded from many Internet sites and played using software available for most operating systems. Because of the popularity and compact size of MP3 devices, manufacturers of portable computer systems are integrating MP3 players into their computer systems.
However, navigating traditional menu hierarchies utilized on handheld computer systems may prove bothersome for some users compared to the simplified user interfaces used on dedicated MP3 devices. For example, a user of a handheld computer system manually turns the device on. Then, the user navigates a plurality of hierarchical menus in order to reach an application launcher and only then is the music player started. Navigating the menus may be accomplished using mechanical buttons or a touch screen on the device. Because of the greater number of steps involved in navigating to and starting the music player, some users find handheld computer systems somewhat inconvenient compared to dedicated MP3 players.